Topic Sentence Worksheet

Writing skills lesson 9: Topic sentence · Set 880 · 40 questions

Writing tip (Main idea first): Read the detail sentences and ask: what are they ALL about? The topic sentence names that main idea in one sentence. A sentence about a different topic cannot open the paragraph, however nice it sounds.

1. 1.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ She has soft white fur and green eyes. Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
2. 2.What is this paragraph mostly about?
   
   We spent a happy day at the beach. The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. We collected shells near the shore. (a) a day at the beach (b) our trip to the zoo (c) eating healthy food (d) the peacock
3. 3.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Children fly kites from their rooftops. Kites of every colour dance in the wind. At night, people fly kites with small lights. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) The night sky is full of wonders. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
4. 4.What is this paragraph mostly about?
   
   I got a new bicycle on my birthday. It is red with a shiny silver bell. Its seat is soft and comfortable. I ride it to the park every evening. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) our pet cat (b) my grandfather (c) the old banyan tree (d) my new bicycle
5. 5.What is this paragraph mostly about?
   
   The monsoon is my favourite season. Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Frogs croak loudly in the wet fields. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) my best friend (b) our postman (c) grandma's garden (d) the rainy season
6. 6.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ It is red with a shiny silver bell. Its seat is soft and comfortable. I oil the chain of my bicycle every week. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) The railway station is always busy. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
7. 7.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ He brings letters and parcels every day. He carries a big brown bag of letters. The postman knows every house on our street. (a) We must not waste water. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Ramesh is the postman in our area.
8. 8.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
   
   ___ Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Frogs croak loudly in the wet fields. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
9. 9.What is this paragraph mostly about?
   
   Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Dal and eggs build strong muscles. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) flying kites (b) eating healthy food (c) my best friend (d) a cricket match
10. 10.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The waves splashed over our feet. We built a big sandcastle. We collected shells near the shore. (a) We spent a happy day at the beach. (b) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
11. 11.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has big windows that let in sunlight. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) We must not waste water. (b) The monsoon is my favourite season. (c) Our classroom is bright and clean. (d) The night sky is full of wonders.
12. 12.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Red roses grow along the fence. She grows tomatoes and chillies too. She sprinkles the plants every morning. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
13. 13.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    My best friend is Farhan. Farhan sits next to me in class. My friend always shares his lunch with me. Farhan and I play football after school. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) ants (b) the old banyan tree (c) my best friend (d) saving water
14. 14.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Fruits give us many vitamins. Milk and curd make our bones strong. Too many sweets are bad for our teeth. (a) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We spent a happy day at the beach. (d) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday.
15. 15.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has tall shelves full of storybooks. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) The monsoon is my favourite season. (b) In January, the sky fills with kites. (c) Our school library is my favourite place. (d) My grandmother has a lovely garden.
16. 16.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The railway station is always busy. Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) our trip to the zoo (b) a busy railway station (c) the peacock (d) eating healthy food
17. 17.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ They have long trunks and big ears. An elephant picks up food with its trunk. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) In January, the sky fills with kites. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) My best friend is Farhan. (d) Elephants are the biggest land animals.
18. 18.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Trains arrive and leave every few minutes. Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) The railway station is always busy. (c) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (d) I got a new bicycle on my birthday.
19. 19.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    A fair comes to our village every winter. There is a giant wheel and a merry-go-round. Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) our classroom (b) the village fair (c) our postman (d) ants
20. 20.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. Kunal bowled very fast. Our team scored fifty runs. Imran took the last wicket. Everyone cheered when we won the match. (a) the school library (b) our school sports day (c) a cricket match (d) our pet cat
21. 21.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our classroom is bright and clean. It has big windows that let in sunlight. Our desks are arranged in neat rows. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) our pet cat (b) our postman (c) the peacock (d) our classroom
22. 22.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Dark clouds gather and rain pours down. Children float paper boats in puddles. The monsoon turns the dry fields green. (a) My grandfather is seventy years old. (b) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (c) A fair comes to our village every winter. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
23. 23.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ I ran in the hundred-metre race. Our house won the tug of war. The winners got shiny medals. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
24. 24.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ It has a long, bright blue neck. Its tail feathers have beautiful eye spots. Peahens are smaller and brown in colour. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) An old banyan tree stands in our village. (c) Our street had a cricket match on Sunday. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
25. 25.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ An elephant picks up food with its trunk. Elephants eat grass, leaves and fruit. Baby elephants stay close to their mothers. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
26. 26.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    We have a pet cat named Mishti. She has soft white fur and green eyes. Mishti drinks milk from a blue bowl. She sleeps in a basket near the window. Mishti chases balls of wool all day. (a) our classroom (b) making a rangoli (c) the vegetable market (d) our pet cat
27. 27.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Farhan sits next to me in class. Farhan and I play football after school. He is a true friend who helps me. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) My best friend is Farhan. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) An old banyan tree stands in our village.
28. 28.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    My grandfather is seventy years old. My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. Grandpa reads the newspaper after breakfast. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) my new bicycle (b) a cricket match (c) my grandfather (d) the peacock
29. 29.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    We must not waste water. Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. Take a quick bath with one bucket of water. (a) flying kites (b) our school sports day (c) saving water (d) our classroom
30. 30.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our class visited an old fort on a hill. Its stone walls were very thick. We climbed up to the tower. The guide told us about the old kings. From the tower we could see the whole town. (a) flying kites (b) our trip to the zoo (c) our postman (d) a visit to an old fort
31. 31.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Turn off the tap while you brush. Fix leaking taps quickly. Use a bucket, not a pipe, to wash the car. (a) We have a pet cat named Mishti. (b) Our school library is my favourite place. (c) We must not waste water. (d) Our class visited an old fort on a hill.
32. 32.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ My grandfather goes for a walk every morning. Grandpa tells us stories of his childhood. My grandfather loves to play chess with me. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (c) My grandfather is seventy years old. (d) Our school library is my favourite place.
33. 33.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ The day began with a march past. I ran in the hundred-metre race. The winners got shiny medals. (a) My grandmother has a lovely garden. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) Healthy food keeps our bodies strong.
34. 34.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ First we draw the pattern with white chalk. Then we fill it with bright coloured powder. Our neighbours stop to admire our rangoli. (a) Our school sports day was full of fun. (b) Every Diwali, my sister and I make a rangoli. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) Our classroom is bright and clean.
35. 35.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Stalls sell bangles, toys and balloons. A magician does tricks for the children. We eat hot jalebis at the fair. (a) A fair comes to our village every winter. (b) Our school sports day was full of fun. (c) The vegetable market near our house opens early. (d) The monsoon is my favourite season.
36. 36.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Porters in red shirts carry heavy luggage. Tea sellers walk up and down the platform. Loud announcements tell people about the trains. (a) Our class visited an old fort on a hill. (b) The night sky is full of wonders. (c) Ramesh is the postman in our area. (d) The railway station is always busy.
37. 37.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ We built a big sandcastle. Dad bought us fresh coconuts. We collected shells near the shore. (a) My best friend is Farhan. (b) We spent a happy day at the beach. (c) I got a new bicycle on my birthday. (d) The peacock is the national bird of India.
38. 38.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    The night sky is full of wonders. Thousands of stars twinkle above us. The moon looks like a silver plate. Sometimes we spot a shooting star. Some stars make shapes in the sky. (a) our pet cat (b) the night sky (c) the village fair (d) our postman
39. 39.What is this paragraph mostly about?
    
    Our school library is my favourite place. It has tall shelves full of storybooks. The librarian helps us find good books. We may borrow two books every week. Everyone reads quietly in the library. (a) our classroom (b) the school library (c) my new bicycle (d) flying kites
40. 40.Which sentence is the best opening (topic sentence) for this paragraph?
    
    ___ Our desks are arranged in neat rows. A green board hangs at the front. We keep our classroom tidy every day. (a) Elephants are the biggest land animals. (b) Our classroom is bright and clean. (c) The peacock is the national bird of India. (d) We have a pet cat named Mishti.

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